These conflicting scenarios leave broadcaster Vic Lombardi feeling torn. He's thrilled by the rising profile of the drive-time show he co-hosts with Best of Denver winner Mark Moser, the voice of the Avalanche, and Brett Kane weekday mornings from 7 to 10 a.m., as well as the rest of the Altitude Sports Radio lineup, now under the supervision of new program director Kevin Shockey. "I definitely think we're making inroads in the market," he says. "There are a lot of fans who didn't previously know we existed, and when they come to us, they stay with us, for the most part, because they like our style — the sense of humor we bring to sports talk and the fact that we talk about every sport under the sun."
At the same time, though, he's frustrated by the Comcast situation. Altitude Sports' programming can be accessed on FuboTV, thanks to a pact announced last week, as well as satellite provider DIRECTV and alternative-television service Evoca TV. But when Lombardi mentions this to would-be watchers, "the blowback I get is, 'Well, this is costing me money,' and you're never going to win that battle. No matter what I say, no matter what information I cast out there on the web, it's not enough, and it's not a solution. Most people in this town have Comcast, and they don't want to be inconvenienced, and I totally respect that. In a perfect world, we'd be back on Comcast, but I don't know if it's ever going to be perfect. So all I can do is provide options, and that's what I think the company is trying to do — saying, 'Here's an option where you can get it.'"
The television and radio arms of Altitude Sports are owned by bajillionaire Stan Kroenke, as are the Avalanche, Nuggets, Mammoth and Colorado Rapids; his broadcasting firm operates under the name Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE). But Kroenke's radio investments in Denver go beyond sports. In addition to Altitude Sports Radio's FM outlet and Altitude Sports Radio 950 AM, which KSE co-manages with VSiN, the Vegas Stats & Information Network, the company controls two of Denver radio's most venerable and successful signals: rock oldies purveyor Kool 105 and Mix 100, which boasts a hot AC (adult contemporary) format.
"Both Kool 105 and Mix 100 are heritage stations in this market, and if you look at the ratings, you can see them in the top five in different demos pretty much every month," says Dave Fleck, general manager and senior vice president of KSE Radio, who oversees all four outlets.
An Altitude Sports truck that's being repurposed to protect the Comcast "blackout."
Photo by Catie Cheshire
Lombardi underscores this point. "Our numbers in the digital sphere are through the roof," he says. "They seem to go up every day in and out of the market. It's crazy how many people who listen to us talk about Denver sports don't reside here anymore, but they still want to be part of it — and their way to be part of it is to listen to our shows."
Given this success, he sees traditional ratings as extremely limited. "If you're somebody who's going for a hike or to the gym, you're not carrying a transistor radio with you," he says. "You've got your phone, and that's what you're listening to us on — and that audience can't be dismissed. It's not being counted, but it's prominent, because the days when everybody was listening on their car radio are gone. Now there are a lot of people listening when they're out and about, or when they're at work with an ear bud in."
Has the Comcast beef actually given Altitude Radio a boost, since it's an inexpensive way to keep up to date with the Avalanche and Nuggets? "It's helped and hindered at the same time," Lombardi maintains. "When we discuss a game, we're discussing something we hope the audience saw, so they can partake in the discussion — and it doesn't help if the audience can't see it and feel it and touch it. But there are definitely more people out there who see them, even if they don't go under the ratings book — people who stream them legally, and even people who stream them illegally. But they're consuming these products."
The station's enhanced access to members of the Avalanche and the Nuggets has definitely helped attract more listeners, Lombardi believes: "There's a lot of interest in these teams, which is why we take it upon ourselves to make sure we touch on a little bit of everything. But this is still a Broncos town — there's no disputing that — and we talk Broncos when we need to, even if we don't feature former Broncos in every segment."
This last comment is a clear allusion to 104.3 The Fan, Denver's most prominent all-sports-talk station, which employs plenty of former Broncos and recently made a splash by signing up recently retired Derek Wolfe to pair with Darren "D-Mac" McKee in the afternoon-drive slot. To make room for Wolfe, The Fan bid farewell to another ex-Bronco, Tyler Polumbus, and while Fleck won't confirm that he's made overtures to him, he's generous with compliments. "Tyler Polumbus is a hometown guy and an outstanding human being, and wherever he ends up in broadcasting — and I'm sure he will end up somewhere — he'll be a real asset," Fleck says.
Meanwhile, Lombardi is enjoying the love he's getting via Altitude Sports Radio even as he's frustrated by the Comcast situation. "I'm somewhat flabbergasted that we're three years into this and the problem still exists," he admits. "This is bigger than us — it's an industry-wide dilemma — but we're at a business stalemate that happened at the worst possible time, because our teams are really, really good. But I'm looking forward to the other side of the rainbow."
